


Magic Spells and Tiaras 2: Palace Life

by Rubymoon_Snape



Series: MS&T [2]
Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Flying Derby, Snippets, Surprise Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27393646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubymoon_Snape/pseuds/Rubymoon_Snape
Summary: Cedric is adjusting to life as a child again.
Relationships: Cedric the Sorcerer/Sofia the First
Series: MS&T [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927444
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the spell mentioned
> 
> Author Note: This is chapter one of part two for "Magic Spells and Tiaras". Please read that first. Please don't complain that the scenes are incomplete or that this isn't a complete story. I am simply showing snippets of palace life.

"Magic Spells and Tiaras 2: Palace Life"

Chapter One

~ **Mystic Meadows**

Cedric was nervous. He was heading for Mystic Meadows with Sofia by his side. He had received a letter from his parents, wanting him to visit. Sofia offered to go with him, which made her boyfriend glad. He sent a reply informing his parents about their arrival. Sofia suggested they take a flying coach, so it didn't take long to reach the retirement home.

Cedric and Sofia exited the coach, and his parents appeared. "Welcome to Mystic Meadows. I am Goodwin the Great..." Goodwin trailed off, staring at the two children standing in front of him. He recognized the princess, but who was the boy? He looked very familiar and was wearing black pants, a cobalt blue shirt with a silver tie, and a black sorcerer's robe over that. He looked at the boy's face and hair. The two locks of white at the front of his hair struck a chord with him. Add to that Princess Sofia being with him. It could only mean one thing. "Cedric? Is that you, Son?"

"Yes, Father. There was an incident a few months ago."

"And you need me to fix it?" Goodwin drew his wand.

"NO!" Sofia and Cedric both exclaimed in almost horror.

Goodwin stopped. "What's wrong? I thought you liked being the royal sorcerer of Enchancia."

"I still am the royal sorcerer, Father. King Roland let me stay on despite my physical age and is quite pleased with my performance, though I contribute most of it to my confidence, which has increased thanks to Sofia."

Sofia hugged her boyfriend, laying her head on his shoulder. "How could I do anything else?"

Winifred watched her son interact with the princess. She had a hunch that they were more than friends. "Ceddy-kins, are you dating Princess Sofia?"

Cedric nodded. "With permission from the King and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Well, you two should come in," Goodwin suggested.

Cedric led his princess into his parents' cottage. The pair sat on the loveseat. Sofia was looking straight ahead, which gave Cedric the opportunity to gently kiss his girlfriend's cheek. He decided to make his move before he lost his nerves. He closed his eyes and leaned over. Right before his lips could touch her cheek, Sofia turned to face Cedric, and their lips met. There was a magical flash of light the second their lips met. It surprised Cedric's parents as they recognized what the flash meant. Magic then swirled around the young couple. Winifred gasped as she witnessed this display of magic.

The kissing duo finally separated. Cedric felt guilty about kissing Sofia on the lips. "Sofia, I-"

Sofia placed a finger against Cedric's lips in order to stop his apology. "It's okay, Cedric. It was nice. I wouldn't mind doing that again."

"Before you do, there's something you should know. Since that was your first, magic happened. There was a flash of light, which only occurs when soul mates kiss for the first time. Then, magic swirled around you both, which meant magic itself approves of your union," Winifred explained.

Sofia smiled as Cedric leaned back against the back of the loveseat. "First, King Roland publicly approves, and now, magic itself approves."

"What do you mean, Cedric?" Goodwin asked.

"At Sofia's birthday ball, the King referred to me as her consort."

"Congratulations, Ceddy-kins. That's high praise coming from not only a king, but from a father as well."

~ **Wassailia**

Sofia bounded out of her room, dressed in a red Wassailia dress. She crossed the hall and knocked on Cedric's door. When she heard the "Come in," she opened the door to see Cedric slipping on a red sorcerer's robe. He turned around, and she noticed he was dressed in his usual black pants, green shirt, and red vest, but no tie.

"Happy Wassailia, Cedric!"

"Happy Wassailia, Sofia." Cedric walked over and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. He withdrew his family wand from his right sleeve. "Do you want to join me in decorating the castle?"

"Yes! Let me get my wand. See you in the hall!" Sofia bounded out of Cedric's room.

Cedric met up with Sofia in the hall and asked her, "Where do you want to start decorating?"

"I thought Baileywick was in charge of decorating the castle."

"Yes, well, it is a large castle."

"Dad asked you to help out, didn't he?"

"Yes."

Sofia and Cedric traveled throughout the castle, decorating the interior as they went. Whenever Sofia suggested a decoration and location, Cedric showed his girlfriend how to do the spell. When they came across Baileywick, he was impressed with the decorations.

"Very nicely done, you two," the steward complimented the duo.

"Thank you, Baileywick," the princess replied.

%%% LATER THAT NIGHT

Everyone was exchanging gifts when Cedric approached the queen nervously. "Your majesty?"

Miranda turned and looked at the child sorcerer. "Yes?"

He removed a long thin box from his robe pocket and handed it to her. "Happy Wassailia."

Surprised, Miranda took the box and carefully opened it. There beautifully displayed was a gorgeous gold necklace with a delicate sapphire teardrop pendant. Miranda gasped. "Cedric, this is beautiful. Thank you. Happy Wassailia to you too. I wish I had a present for you too."

"There's no need for one, your majesty. You already gave me the best gift of all."

"What was that?"

"Your daughter's presence. She gave me her friendship and inspired me to be more confident in myself. With her as my girlfriend, life couldn't be better. Without you, there would be no Sofia, and a world without Sofia is meaningless and cold."

Miranda stared at the boy in amazement. She use to always think him to be cold and aloof, even petty sometimes. That is until he started dating Sofia, so this statement wasn't surprising anymore.

"I also have a present for Sofia." Cedric handed Sofia a small wrapped present.

Curious, she opened the present, revealing an amethyst promise ring. The band was sterling silver with three medium sized amethysts studded along the top of the ring. She gasped in surprise.

"It's not an engagement ring. We are too young for that, so it's a promise ring. This is a symbol of my love for her."

Before Cedric had finished speaking, Sofia put the ring on the third finger of her left hand and threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck. "Thank you, Cedric!"

"You're quite welcome, Sofia." Before anyone else could say anything, Sofia kissed Cedric on the lips.

~ **Flying Derby**

Cedric followed King Roland, Queen Miranda, Princess Amber, and Baileywick into the royal viewing box.

"Sofia and James are racing today?"

"Yes. Against Weslock," Amber replied.

"Are they good?"

"Yes," Hildegard answered. She and Princess Clio were already in the box.

"But they have beaten Weslock before," Clio pointed out.

Cedric smiled at the duo before walking to the front of the box to see if he could spot Sofia. Combing the entrance to the track, he saw her on her purple horse. He enthusiastically waved in her direction. She saw him, poked James in the arm, and pointed at the royal viewing box. Both young royals waved back at Cedric. Roland saw this exchange and smiled. It was at that moment that the race began.

All throughout the race, Cedric was in the front of the box, watching his girlfriend race. He was practically leaning over the edge in excitement, which made Roland smile. Maybe he should come to more of Sofia's races, especially since it made him act more like a child.

When Sofia and James crossed the finish line, Cedric clapped along with everyone else. Although, when the crowd broke into the school cheer, he looked uneasy.

"Huzzah! Huzzah!  
RPA!

"Huzzah! Huzzah!  
For Royal Prep, for the red and green and blue  
We're all for one and one for all  
At RPA, you'll hear our royal call

"Huzzah! Huzzah!  
For Royal Prep, yes we're loyal through and through  
We rule on the field  
And off it too  
That for Royal Prep to our team we're true

"Sofia and James royal through and through  
Huzzah! Huzzah!  
For the red and green and blue

"That for Royal Prep to our team we're true

"Huzzah!"

At the end of the cheer, there were fireworks of red and green and blue, curtesy of Cedric's magic. Once the racers had landed, the people in the stands were permitted to enter the field. Cedric made a beeline for James and Sofia, both of whom had dismounted from their horses. Seeing his friend coming their way, James raised his hand for a high-five. "I'm glad you came, Cedric! High-five!"

The little sorcerer paused for a second before indulging the prince. He gave James a high-five and then wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "You did such an awesome job."

~ **Surprise Party**

Sofia walked to Cedric's lab. Her job was to make sure he stayed in his lab, so he wouldn't see the party decorations being put up for his birthday. She hoped she would be able to do it.

She knocked on the door, and the door opened, but surprisingly, Cedric had not opened the door as his back was to the door and he was carefully measuring ingredients for a potion he was brewing. Wormwood had managed to open the door for Sofia.

"It's Sofia," he cawed.

"Thank you, Wormy. Hello, Sofia."

"Hi, Cedric. Hi, Wormwood. Is there anything you need help with?"

"Not at the moment, but after I'm done with my potion, we can go flying if you'd like."

"I'd actually like to stay here with you doing magic lessons."

Cedric was a little surprised. Usually Sofia loved to go flying with him. "If you're sure, I don't mind giving you magic lessons."

%%%

"It's very simple, Princess. You give your wand a wave in a slow upward arc and say the magic words-"

_Knock, knock._

Cedric rolled his eyes. He despised being interrupted, especially when he was teaching his girlfriend. He said in an irritated tone, "Come in."

Baileywick opened the door. "I apologize for the interruption; however, King Roland wishes for your presence in the ballroom, Cedric."

Cedric sighed. "Very well. I will be there in a moment." He turned to Sofia. "We'll finish this when I return."

"I'll go with you." Sofia wound her arms around Cedric's left arm.

"All right." Cedric led Sofia out of his laboratory and down to the ballroom. When they entered the ballroom, it was quite dark. "Why is it dark? Where is everyone?"

All of a sudden, the lights came on and everyone jumped out of hiding, shouting, "Surprise! Happy birthday!"

Cedric certainly was surprised. He wasn't expecting anything like this. He was quite sure everyone had forgotten that it was his birthday. An idea struck him, and he turned to his girlfriend. "You knew about this, and that's why you didn't want to go flying. You had to keep me away from the castle proper, didn't you?"

Sofia giggled. "I figured you never had a surprise party before, so Dad and Baileywick planned it and the servants decorated the ballroom while I kept you busy."

"You were right. Thank you, Sofia." Cedric wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

Sofia led her boyfriend into the room. "It's not just our family here. Some of the princes and princesses from Royal Prep came, and Mr. Greylock is here too."

Cedric looked at the assembled royals. There were a couple he knew by name (Desmond and Vivian) and some he didn't know at all, so he turned his attention to the decorations. They were tastefully done, not overdone at all. His eyes were drawn away from the decorations and towards a rather modest three tier cake. It was covered in royal purple frosting with different colored fireworks that were meant to represent magic.

Sofia tugged on her boyfriend's arm. "Let's go see what games there are!"

Cedric wasn't sure what games Sofia had chosen, but he trusted her judgment.

TBC


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the spell mentioned
> 
> Author Note: This is chapter two of part two for "Magic Spells and Tiaras". Please read that first. Please don't complain that the scenes are incomplete or that this isn't a complete story. I am simply showing snippets of palace life.

Chapter Two

~ **Sickness, Confession, and Nightmare**

Sofia left her room and was about to open Cedric's door, when it opened and Baileywick stepped out. He closed the door behind him. "Hello, Princess Sofia. I'm sorry. You can't see Cedric today. He is not feeling well."

Sofia frowned. She wanted to spend time with her boyfriend today. "Are you sure I can't see him at all?"

Baileywick looked at Sofia. She was giving him a pleading look. He found that he couldn't say no. "A few minutes won't hurt, I suppose."

"Thank you!" Sofia gave Baileywick a quick hug before she entered Cedric's room. She crept closer to his bed. He was curled up on his side, facing away from the door. "Cedric?"

He didn't move. She reached out to touch his shoulder when Wormwood landed on her shoulder. He whispered, "Don't wake him, Princess. He has a pretty bad cold, so he cast a healing trance spell on himself after the steward left. He needs to stay asleep for the spell to work."

"Oh. Would you like some company until he wakes up?"

"That won't be necessary, Princess."

"How long will he be in this trance?"

"That I don't know."

"I guess I'll just check on him throughout the day until he wakes up."

%%%

Cedric slowly opened his brown eyes. Apparently, his healing trance didn't work completely, but what did he expect when Baileywick kept waking him up to check his health? He didn't feel 100% better, but he should be able to drag himself to his laboratory to brew a healing potion. He sat up and proceeded to slip out of bed. He opened his door slightly and peered out into the hall. Fortunately, there was no one in the hall, so he opened the door a little wider and slipped out. He closed the door and moved as quickly as he dared, heading for his laboratory. He was just about to put one foot on the stairs when he heard the most unwelcome of voices.

"Cedric!"

"What do you want, Baileywick?"

"You should be in bed."

"I will be fine. Why don't you leave me alone and go do your job?" Cedric made a small shooing motion. He knew he was being a bit mean to the steward, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The man was preventing him from brewing the necessary potion.

"Unfortunately, the King said that it was part of my job to ensure the well-being of the castle's inhabitants, which includes you."

"Just tell the King I am fine now."

"You clearly are not."

"I would be by now if you hadn't stopped me. I was going to my laboratory to brew a healing potion."

"Isn't it dangerous to brew in your condition?" Without waiting for a reply, Baileywick continued, "I'm going to call Princess Sofia. She can at least make sure you don't explode a cauldron."

True to Baileywick's word, Sofia came to the stairs a few minutes later. "Cedric, I thought your healing spell was supposed to work."

Sofia accompanied the sick sorcerer to his laboratory. "It usually does but someone neglected to tell Baileywick, and he woke me up a couple of times. The trance only works if it's uninterrupted sleep."

"That would explain why you were a little mean to him."

"He complained about my attitude?"

"No. He tried to caution me about your attitude when he sent me here."

"Well, he needn't have worried. I could never get frustrated with you, except when you mispronounced my name during your first year in the castle."

Sofia giggled. "I don't know why I kept mispronouncing your name especially when you kept correcting me. Now, let's get this healing potion started."

Cedric summoned his book of healing potions with a wave of his wand. The blue book zoomed off the shelf, and the boy caught the book easily. He flipped through the book until he found the correct page. "Here it is."

Sofia looked over the potion. It seemed simple enough. "Why don't I brew this for you?"

"What? Why?"

"Well, it seems simple enough, and you are sick. Why don't you go lay down while I brew this for you?"

Cedric suddenly yawned and conceded to his apprentice. "Very well, Sofia. I will go rest."

Sofia watched as her boyfriend walked up the stairs and laid down on his bed that was his when he was an adult. She turned back to the book and was startled to see Wormwood standing in front of the book looking at the page. "This won't work."

"Why not?"

"This isn't a healing potion." The raven looked at his human. "Clearly, he's feeling worse than he cares to admit. I would prefer him to try the healing trance again."

"Is it safe to cast twice in a day?"

"Yes. Just tell everyone that he needs to sleep uninterrupted."

Sofia grabbed one of Cedric's extra wands and walked up the stairs and over to him. She sat down on the bed, and Wormwood flew over. Cedric was asleep already, and the princess was reluctant to wake him up. "I don't want to wake him up. Can I cast the spell?"

"Yes. The spell is _sanitatem mentis."_

Sofia took a breath and waved the wand over her boyfriend. _"Sanitatem mentis."_

A soft blue glow surrounded Cedric before dissipating.

"It worked."

Sofia smiled as she put the wand back and covered Cedric with a couple of blankets to keep him warm. "That should work. Now, I need to tell Baileywick. Can I trust you to make sure no one wakes him up and that he stays warm enough?"

"Obviously. It is in a familiar's best interest that his sorcerer stays in the best possible health."

"Good. I will see the two of you later then." Sofia let herself out of the tower and went down the stairs. She went to look for Baileywick. She found him in the throne room with her dad.

"Ah, Princess Sofia. Did the potion work? Where's Cedric?"

"The potion wouldn't have worked, so I used a healing trance spell on him. The only catch is that he has to have uninterrupted sleep. So Wormwood is watching him, and I put a couple of blankets on him, so his workshop won't be too cold."

King Roland stood up. "Why did you leave him in his tower? It's too cold for anyone to sleep up there!"

"He had fallen asleep, when I checked the spell book for the spell. I couldn't bring myself to wake him up, and now that the healing trance is on him, it wouldn't be right to move him. If he is woken up, the trance won't heal him."

The King sat down. "Very well, Sofia. I want to check on him throughout the day."

"I am checking on him throughout the day as well," Sofia mentioned.

"Splendid. Perhaps we'll take turns."

"I will go first," Sofia offered.

"Wonderful."

'I have to warn Wormwood that Dad is going to be coming.'

%%%

Sofia entered the laboratory and immediately went up the stairs. She went over to her boyfriend's side, where Wormwood joined her.

"Am I going to be seeing you all day?"

"Not just me, but Dad is coming later on too."

"The King is coming to check on Cedric?"

"Yes. Please don't do anything unless it looks like he is going to wake Cedric up."

"Very well," the raven huffed.

%%%

Roland climbed the stairs leading to Cedric's workshop. He was glad he didn't have Cedric living up in the tower now. It was sad that it took a near-death experience for him to realize that Cedric was part of his family. He had gone over his encounters with the sorcerer (there were a lot), and he realized that even though they were friends when they were kids, as adults, he actually had been intimidating to his sorcerer. That intimidation was the cause of Cedric's nerves. Until Sofia became his friend, Cedric was the worst sorcerer in the known world. Now, he was one of the best, even rivaling his father.

Roland slowly opened Cedric's door. He looked around and didn't see the child sorcerer anywhere. He saw the raven looking up the stairs, so he went up the stairs and saw Cedric sleeping in a bed. He carefully studied his friend's features. His breathing was even and steady, and his lips weren't blue. Roland gently felt his forehead and felt for his pulse on his wrist. His skin wasn't cold, and his pulse was strong. The King nodded to himself. His royal sorcerer was okay.

Roland walked down the stairs and over to Wormwood. "You seem to be doing a good job watching over Cedric. Keep up the good work, and he'll be back in our midst soon." Roland shook his head. "I must be losing my mind. I'm talking to a bird. Then, again, ravens are smart."

Wormwood watched as the King left his master's workshop. He didn't like the King much, because he caused his master such distress in the past. Lately, Cedric wasn't as nervous in the King's presence, but he was still nervous. Wormwood kept watch throughout the day as Sofia and Roland alternatingly checked on his master.

%%%

Cedric woke up, feeling a whole lot better, but he kept his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of his blankets and the darkness of his tower. He heard his door open, and someone climb the stairs to his second floor. The footsteps that came closer were too heavy to be Sofia, James, or Princess Amber. There was no rustle of fabric, so that excluded Queen Miranda. His visitor was either the King or the steward. He felt a hand on his forehead and then a couple of fingers on his wrist. The feel of the hands told him it was King Roland and not Baileywick. He wanted the King to know he was awake. He shifted and slowly opened his eyes. "Hello, your majesty."

Upon hearing his master's voice, Wormwood flew up and cawed at the King, assuming the royal had woken him up.

Cedric sat up, horrified at his familiar's actions towards the King. "Wormwood! Stop this instant!"

He held his hand out, where the raven flew over to. "He woke you up."

Knowing the King didn't know he could understand his familiar, Cedric ignored his raven's cawing. "Are you all right, your majesty?"

Roland chuckled slightly. "I should have expected that for waking you up."

"I was Cedric sat bolt upright in bed, gasping lightly and his brown eyes slightly wide. The nightmare he had was horrible. He didn't want to lay back down if the dream was going to continue. Maybe if he had something to eat, then maybe the nightmare would go away. He threw his extra warm sorcerer's robe on over his night clothes, belting it tightly closed, and slipped on warm slippers. He quietly and quickly padded down the hall and into the kitchens, only to be startled by someone who seemed to be doing the very thing he came down to do.

Cedric was torn. He really didn't want to disturb the other person, but he didn't want his nightmare to continue. He started backing up, deciding to go back to bed and take the chance that his nightmare might come back. However, his footing wasn't sure, and he fell down with a thump. The other person pulled his head out of the cupboard. It was King Roland!

Roland was trying to find a midnight snack, when he heard a thump behind him. He straightened up and turned around. He was surprised to find his royal sorcerer on the ground. "Cedric? Are you okay?"

Roland held his hand out to help Cedric up off the floor. Cedric grasped the King's hand and was hauled to his feet. "Yes, your majesty. I'm fine."

"So, what brings you down here in the middle of the night?"

Cedric hesitated. He didn't want to sound weak in front of the King. Roland noticed the hesitation from the boy in front of him. He took a guess at what the problem was. "I'm guessing you had a pretty bad nightmare."

Cedric hung his head. He mumbled. "That's an understatement."

Roland, just able to make out what Cedric said, nodded slightly. He turned back to the cupboard and pulled out some cookies. He turned back to face Cedric. "I came down for a snack, and cookies always taste better when you have company, so would you like to join me?"

Cedric's head shot up at the offer. Was the King really asking him to eat with him? "I-I guess so."

Roland led his sorcerer to a small comfortable sitting room. He set the jar of cookies on the table and sat down on the small couch. He patted the cushion next to him, indicating that he wanted Cedric to sit next to him.

Cedric shuffled forward and cautiously sat down. He looked around the room and recognized it as the room he and Roland would sneak into to eat sweets without anyone finding them, especially their parents. Roland offered a cookie to his childhood friend who looked lost in thought.

Cedric absentmindedly accepted the cookie and said, "It's been awhile since we spent time in here together."

Roland chuckled. "The last time we were here, I believe, we were in our early teens. We had snuck some ice cream out of the kitchens, celebrating your latest accomplishment. I do believe you had created a new potion."

Cedric nodded. "Yes, and our fathers did actually find us. They weren't very happy though."

Silence reigned between them. Roland wanted to ask about the nightmare but didn't think he would get a reply.

Suddenly, Cedric spoke up. "My nightmare was horrible. I dreamt that I was a grown-up again as punishment for trying to take over the kingdom, but Sofia no longer wanted to spend her time with me, and you sent me away with slight urging from the twins." A tear slipped down Cedric's right cheek without him noticing. "I was no longer wanted in the place I consider home."

Roland was shocked into silence on two fronts. First, he didn't think Cedric would bare his soul to him, tear included, and secondly, the contents of the nightmare. Roland recognized that this was Cedric's greatest fear. He didn't know what to say to reassure his sorcerer that it would never come to pass.

%%%

Four pairs of eyes were spying on the conversation happening in the sitting room. The rest of the royal family had woken up from the storm raging outside. Miranda noticed Roland wasn't in bed, and the twins heard their stepmother going down the hall. They went to investigate what was going on. Sofia was awakened by the storm as well and went across the hall to seek comfort from Cedric, but he wasn't there. She went looking for him. All four of them saw a light on in a small room off of the dining hall. They were surprised to see Roland and Cedric sitting together, eating cookies. Cedric's nightmare caused tears to jump to Sofia's eyes. The twins were shocked at being included in his fear. The Queen led the children back to their rooms with a word to stay put.

The Queen actually did not return to her rooms but to the little sitting room. She knocked on the door, walked in, and over to Cedric. She wrapped her arms around the boy to try to comfort him. She whispered, "We all love you, Cedric. You won't be going anywhere, and you won't be turned back into an adult."

Hearing those words and feeling loving arms around him caused Cedric to break down into sobs. The Queen maneuvered Cedric around so she could sit down on the couch as well. As the boy cried, Miranda looked at Roland, who looked completely lost at this turn of events. "He wanted to tell someone and for that someone to tell him that his nightmare won't happen."

"How did you know about his nightmare?"

Miranda started carding her fingers through the two-tone colored hair. "I came looking for you, and I overheard the conversation. The children also overheard, but I sent them back to bed. I doubt they are asleep unlike him."

Roland looked at Cedric and was slightly surprised to see him asleep, laying across the Queen's lap. "Why don't I collect our children and bring them here so we can talk about what we can do to make sure that Cedric won't fear about having to leave?"

Miranda nodded, and Roland left. He returned moments later with their three kids in tow. Each one looked at the sleeping sorcerer as they entered the room. Sofia rushed over to her mom and the sorcerer. "Is he okay?"

"He will be. You heard about his nightmare. Letting his guard down took a lot out of him. He should be much better after a long rest."

"We should spend all day tomorrow with him here at the castle," Amber suggested, sitting in one of the comfortable chairs.

"Doing all of his favorite things," James added, claiming the chair next to his twin.

"He might feel like we are crowding him," Sofia countered, sitting in the last chair. "Maybe if we spend all day in here or the library.

"You may have a point, Sofia. Maybe we should just ask him in the morning," Roland said. "For now, we should get some sleep."

Everyone looked at the little sorcerer, who looked comfortable on the Queen's lap. She smiled at him. "Maybe we should all just sleep here, so we don't have to disturb him."

Roland chuckled softly. "It wouldn't be the first time Cedric and I fell asleep in here though it's been decades since."

"Then it's settled," Miranda stated. The royal family all fell asleep in the little room.

%%%

Baileywick went to wake up the royal family, but their rooms were empty. He went to the dining room to see if they were already there, but they weren't. He was just about to send servants to check every corner of the castle, when he noticed a light on in one of the rooms off of the dining hall. He peered into the room and was pleasantly surprised to see the royal family and Cedric sleeping together in the little room. The King, Queen, and sorcerer were sleeping on the couch, and the little royals were curled up in chairs.

The steward wondered how they all came to sleep in this room, when they all fell asleep in their rooms upstairs. They all were sleeping so soundly that Baileywick refused to wake them up. He set about either rescheduling the King's appointments or cancelling them, depending on the appointment. He made sure that the King's day was clear, quite sure that the family needed to stay together the entire day. He then went into the kitchen to inform the servants to make several dishes available all day on the dining room table, so whenever any of the royals wanted something to eat, it was there. He then set about doing his job, allowing the family to sleep as long as they wanted.

%%%

Roland was the first one to wake up. He looked around the room and saw the rest of his family sleeping. He carefully extracted himself from his wife and sorcerer and left the room to see what time it was and what was going on. He located Baileywick easily enough. "Baileywick."

"Ah, good morning, your majesty."

"What's on the agenda for today?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"That is correct, your majesty. It is a rest day for the family."

"All six of us could use it."

"Six? Don't you mean five?"

"No, six. Miranda, myself, Amber, James, Sofia, and Cedric."

%%%

Cedric woke up and was slightly confused as to where he was. Then, the previous night came flooding back. His face flushed red. He couldn't believe he had cried on the Queen like a baby. He needed to be alone so as not to subject himself to more humiliation. He carefully slipped off the couch and padded barefoot out of the room. The boy checked the hall before making a run to his tower. He slipped the spare key out of its hiding place and locked himself in the tower.

%%%

The rest of the royal family woke up about the same time. The Queen immediately noticed the absence of the little sorcerer. She saw that he left his slippers in the sitting room as well. "Why did he leave?" she whispered to herself.

"Mom, is everything okay?" Sofia asked. The princess then noticed who was missing. "Where are Dad and Cedric?"

"I don't know where they are, but hopefully they are together."

Her hopes were dashed when Roland came back into the room alone. "Miranda, great news. We can have a relaxing day today. All six of us."

"Was Cedric with you?"

"No. When I left, he was still here asleep. Do you mean he left the room?"

"He must have left in a hurry because he forgot these," the queen replied as she showed her husband the slippers Cedric had been wearing the previous night.

"We should go find him. Amber, go check the gardens. James, go check the stables. Miranda, go check his room. Sofia, check his tower. I will look in the library."

The royal family split up and checked their assigned areas. No one had any luck. Sofia tried to open the door to Cedric's tower but found it locked and couldn't reach the hiding place for the spare key. She went down to her sorcerer's room, where her mom was. "Mom, Cedric's tower is locked, and I can't reach the spare key. Can you help?"

"Sure, Sofia. It's obvious that he's not here." Miranda was led by her daughter to the tower and directed her to where the key was. Miranda lifted the claw of the stone gargoyle, but nothing was there. "Are you sure this is where it is?"

"Yes. Cedric must have taken it, so no one can get in."

Miranda took out a hair pin. "Luckily, I learned how to pick a lock when we were in the village. I had accidentally locked us out of the house once."

It took a little bit, but she finally got the door unlocked. Sofia opened the door and walked in, Miranda following her a minute later.

Sofia looked around. "Cedric, are you here?"

Sofia went up the stairs, but no one was up there. She came back down and decided to look elsewhere in the tower. She walked behind the curtains and saw a set of stairs she didn't know where it led. She carefully went down the stairs. She looked around. It didn't look especially interesting. She was about to leave when movement in the shadows caught her eye. "Cedric, is that you?"

Sofia approached the figure still hiding in the shadows and knelt down in front of him. She reached out and touched his shoulder. She couldn't see much but was fairly certain that her boyfriend was hiding for some reason.

Cedric wasn't happy that his solitude was interrupted, but seeing that it was Sofia, he decided it wasn't too bad. Only the King and Queen saw him crying. He lifted his head to look at his girlfriend and realized he didn't want to be alone after all. He sat forward, so Sofia could see him better. His brown eyes locking with her blue ones.

"Sofia, how did you get in here?"

"My mom picked the lock with her hair pin. It was ah-mazing!"

At the mention of the Queen, Cedric shrank back into the shadows. "Why don't you two go down and enjoy the rest of your day? I just want to be alone up here," Cedric lied.

Sofia was confused. Why didn't Cedric want to be with them? He was just starting to enjoy being with everyone. What happened last night to change that? The princess stood up and started moving out of the room when her progress was halted by a hand on her wrist.

When he saw Sofia leaving, guilt at lying to her made him feel bad. He quickly stood up and grabbed her wrist before she could leave. She looked at Cedric, who was pulling her closer to him. When she was next to him, he hugged her. "I'm sorry, Sofia. I don't want you to go, but I also don't want to be near your parents any time soon."

"Why not?"

"Because of last night. After my nightmare, your mother comforted me. She told me everyone loved me. That declaration and the stress of my nightmare caused me to cry. Both of your parents saw that. The humiliation is the reason I'm up here."

"Hiding," Sofia added.

"Yes," Cedric conceded.

Miranda had been watching since Sofia walked behind the curtains and down the stairs. She had descended the stairs as well but remained out of sight. She watched the interaction between her daughter and the obviously depressed little sorcerer. She listened as he relayed to her the reason for locking himself in his tower. Her heart broke at his reason. He thought she and Roland would bring up the topic of him crying and use it to embarrass him.

"Don't worry. Mom and Dad won't embarrass you by even bringing it up. We had planned on having an easy day with all six of us together either in the library or the sitting room."

"James volunteered to spend time in the library?"

"Actually, he and Amber originally suggested doing all of your favorite things. I thought you would consider that crowding you."

"As long as I'm not alone with either of your parents and I'd be allowed to do anything I want, I don't mind following the twins's suggestion," Cedric said.

"What would you want to do first?" Sofia asked.

"We could go flying."

"All right. Let's change clothes and meet at the stables." Cedric nodded, and Sofia left. Miranda went up the stairs before her daughter and allowed Sofia to assume she hadn't been down there watching them. "Mom, let's go find everyone else, and I can tell them what Cedric told me."

After the princess changed her clothes, Sofia and Miranda met up with the rest of the royals in the dining room. Roland looked up at their entrance. "Did you find Cedric?"

"I did. I talked to him, and we're actually going to follow Amber's and James's suggestion about doing all of Cedric's favorite things. He's changing into his riding clothes, and we're going to meet him at the stables."

"All right!" James exclaimed as the twins headed off to change their clothes.

"Mom, Dad, there's something else. He mentioned he felt humiliated at the thought of crying in front of you two last night. I told him that you two wouldn't even mention it, so if you just forget it happened, that would be great."

"Consider it forgotten, Sofia," Miranda said. "Right, Rolly?"

"Absolutely," Roland confirmed.

"Great!" Sofia spied Cedric leaving the castle, dressed for flying his horse. "I'll see you guys later." She hurried after her sorcerer. She caught up with him and wrapped her arms around his left arm, which felt warm. "Did you cast a warming charm on your clothes again?"

"Yes. It's the only way to ensure I don't get too cold. I promised your dad that I would watch out for that."

They reached the stables and retrieved their horses. Amber and James joined them at that time. The four children took to the skies but didn't make any attempt at conversation. All four simply enjoyed flying with company. A couple hours later, everyone entered the library. Cedric stayed next to Queen Miranda for the moment. "My Queen, may I look up new potion ingredients that we may have in our gardens?"

"Certainly, Cedric. Thank you for following the rules Roland laid down. As long as you only research the plants, you don't have to show me or Roland the books."

"Thank you, my queen. I was hoping to have Princess Amber accompany me in the gardens after this."

"You can go ahead and ask her before you gather your books."

"Yes, your majesty." Cedric approached the yellow-clad princess. "Princess, may I ask you a question?"

Amber looked up in surprise. She had taken her favorite book with her and sat in one of the many comfortable chairs. She was surprised when Cedric approached her. Normally, he was with Sofia or with all three of them. She didn't even remember the last time he had sought her out. "Of course, Cedric."

"After a bit of research, would you like to accompany me out to the gardens?"

"Why me? Isn't Sofia the one who should accompany you?"

"I intend to get to know you and James better, Princess. Despite living in the castle together for your entire life, I don't really know either of you that well."

Amber stared at the child sorcerer in shock. Cedric wanted to get to know her and her twin better? Was it her imagination or was Cedric actually trying to be friendly? He and James certainly seemed to get along. Sofia definitely enjoyed the boy's company. If her siblings liked him, Amber decided to as well. "What would we be doing in the gardens?"

"I will be collecting potion ingredients while we talk."

"Seems harmless enough. All right, Cedric. I'll accompany you."

"Thank you, Princess Amber. Right now, I need to do some research first. I will let you know when I am done." At Amber's nod of understanding, Cedric went over to the bookcases and proceeded to pull out three books all about different types of flora. He brought all three to the desk and went through the books, making notes on some parchment as he read. It was quiet in the library. Roland was pretending to read while he watched his sorcerer. The boy was obviously doing research of some kind after speaking with both Miranda and Amber. He wanted to go check and see what Cedric was researching but after catching Miranda's gaze, decided not to.

Miranda stared at Roland, who was watching Cedric. The King's body language said that he wanted to see what Cedric was researching. Miranda kept staring at her husband until she caught his gaze. She gave a minute shake of her head, hopefully conveying that there was no need for the King to see the research. Roland went back to his reading and lost track of time. An hour had passed, and before Roland realized it, Cedric was standing in front of him with his list. "Your majesty, would you know if any of these flora are in the garden?"

Roland realized why Cedric was asking him this strange question; it was a way for Roland to see what was on Cedric's list. His sorcerer was following his rules extremely well. "Well, let's see." Roland's eyes scanned the list. He didn't recognize any of the names on the list. Cedric knew the King didn't know any of the ingredients on his list, but he wanted to make sure he was following the rules. He knew he didn't _have_ to show his list to the King, but it felt like the right thing to do. "We should have at least some of these flowers in the garden."

"Princess Amber has agreed to accompany me out to the garden. Once we return, I wish to prepare the ingredients I do find with Sofia's help. After that, if James would agree, we could play a game of checkers," Cedric stated, laying his plans for the rest of the day with the little royals.

Roland was surprised at Cedric's plans; one activity with each of his children, not just Sofia. Not only was he letting the King know what he wanted to do, he was also letting him know where his children were and what they would be doing. "If Sofia and James agree to those activities, I don't see any problems with it."

Cedric bowed to Roland and walked over to where Sofia and James were sitting. "Sofia, would you mind helping me prepare ingredients after I collect them?"

Sofia smiled. "Of course I'd love to!"

"Afterwards, James, you and I can play a game of checkers, if you'd like to."

"I think it's brilliant!"

"But first, I have to collect the ingredients."

"Do you want some company?" Sofia asked.

"Princess Amber is accompanying me."

A few minutes later found Cedric and Amber in the garden. Cedric consulted his list every so often, but he had mentioned wanting to get to know the eldest princess but didn't know what they would have in common.

Amber was slightly unnerved by the silence between her and the child sorcerer. Sofia found it easy to talk to Cedric, but Amber didn't know if they had anything in common.

"Where is that moonflower?"

Amber's head shot up. "Moonflower?"

"It's a flower that is used for neutralizing some poisons. The flower itself is white and shaped like a star."

"Like a star?" Amber looked around, trying to find a flower that looked like her favorite celestial object. "I just adore stars. Did you know I discovered a new star? It's called Amberina Major."

"I had heard about that. Congratulations for an amazing discovery, Princess. I've spent years looking up at the stars."

"Before I discovered the star, I used star stones to turn the ceiling of my bedroom into a planetarium just like Daddy did when he was younger."

"Ah yes. I remember that. He invited me to see his ceiling. Ah ha! Here it is!" Cedric plucked several of the flowers including their stems.

"Ooo! The flowers are the color of moonlight!"

"That is one reason for its name. Another one is the fact that it only blooms from late afternoon until morning."

"Is that everything on your list?"

"Yes, princess. I need to prepare these now."

"I can see why Sofia likes spending time with you, and I enjoyed it as well."

"So did I, princess. So did I."

%%%

Cedric was grinding some ingredients with his mortar and pestle while Sofia poured others into flasks and vials. They worked so well with each other that they were quiet until Sofia said, "Cedric, I was wondering something about Wormwood."

"What do you want to know?"

"How has he lived for so long?"

"It's a benefit of being a familiar. His aging process has slowed down once he reached maturity, so he gets to live as long as I do."

"That's amazing."

Wormwood landed on Cedric's shoulder. The child sorcerer ran his hand over the black feathers. "He was my first friend and has always been there for me, even when I was in a bad mood or upset at something or someone."

It didn't take the couple long to prepare and store the ingredients. Sofia went down to get James, while Cedric set up the checkerboard. He had just finished when James and Sofia returned. James chose red, and the two boys started playing. The trio lost track of time until the game ended, which Cedric narrowly won.

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the spell mentioned
> 
> Author Note: This is chapter three of part two for "Magic Spells and Tiaras". Please read that first. Please don't complain that the scenes are incomplete or that this isn't a complete story. I am simply showing snippets of palace life.

Chapter Three

~ **School Dance**

"In one week, there will be a school dance," Flora announced.

Sofia raised her left hand. After being called on, she asked, "May we bring someone who doesn't attend Royal Prep?"

"Yes, dear. Of course you may. Just make sure your suitor is dressed formally, Sofia," Fauna answered.

Sofia blushed. "How'd they know?" she whispered to James, who simply pointed at her left ring finger. She looked where her brother pointed and saw her promise ring. "Oh."

When school was over, the three Enchancian royals boarded a flying coach. Once it landed in front of the castle, Sofia practically ran into the castle, looking for Cedric. She found him in the throne room with her mother. Sofia couldn't help herself and glomped her boyfriend, which made him lose his balance, and they both fell to the floor.

"Are you okay, Sofia?" Cedric asked, even though she landed on him.

"Better than okay! There's going to be a dance at Royal Prep, and I can bring you!" Sofia hugged Cedric tightly.

"Sofia, why don't you let Cedric get off the floor?" Miranda cut in.

With a sheepish smile, Sofia got off Cedric, who got up and, giving Sofia a smile, opened his arms to her. Her face lit up, and she was back in his arms a second later. Cedric closed his arms around her, and she relaxed against him. She laid her head against his shoulder, and he lightly laid his head on top of her hair, being careful of her tiara. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of holding his princess. He found himself looking forward to the dance.

%%%

The week flew by quickly and as the day of the dance drew nearer, Cedric found himself growing nervous, but he still dressed up for the occasion, wearing the same outfit he wore for Sofia's most recent birthday. As he donned the black pants, long sleeved purple shirt, blue tie, and long grey jacket, he was reminded of the last time he danced with Sofia in public. A smile crossed his face as he belted the jacket closed. Nothing happened that time, and surely nothing would happen this time. It was simply a school dance with all of Sofia's friends and fellow royals in attendance.

He climbed into the carriage after the three little royals, and they were off to Royal Prep for the dance. Sofia snuggled against Cedric, having noticed his nervousness. It wasn't a long trip to the school, but it also seemed too long at the same time. As Sofia gently tugged Cedric inside, he felt his nerves disappear. He smiled as they entered the school. It was going to be a good night.

~ **Piano**

Cedric was entering the castle from the gardens, where he had harvested fresh ingredients. He paused as he heard Baileywick and King Roland in a room off of the main hall. He peered into the room and saw several servants pushing a grand piano into place.

"Do you play piano, your majesty?"

"Oh no, Baileywick. I don't. I hope someone does, but the music room looks much better with one in place, doesn't it?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Come, Baileywick. Let's take care of the next item on your list."

"Certainly." Both men left the room, not even noticing the little sorcerer.

Cedric stared at the piano. It was a little bit since he had played last, but his lessons were as fresh in his mind as ever. Would the King mind if he played a song? Probably. He slowly walked away from the music room, his mind still on the piano.

%%%

Cedric was in his workshop, chopping and grinding the ingredients he just picked. Wormwood could tell his human was distracted. He still prepared the ingredients properly even though his mind was elsewhere.

Once the ingredients were done and stored, Wormwood said, "You are distracted."

"King Roland has a grand piano in the music room, even though he doesn't play. I want to play, but I don't think I'd be allowed to."

_Knock, knock._

"Come in."

Surprisingly, it wasn't just Sofia but the twins as well. Sofia came over and gave him a hug. "Hi, Cedric!"

"Hi." Cedric sounded depressed.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"Your father has ordered a grand piano-"

"Oh, you heard about it. We came up to see if you wanted to join us in the music room," Amber interrupted.

"We have music time. In place of lessons, we choose an instrument and try to teach ourselves how to play," Sofia explained.

Cedric smiled, having an idea. "Sure. I'll come with you."

Cedric accompanied the three royal children to the music room. Amber sat next to the harp. James sat down and pulled out a saxophone. Sofia pulled out a mandolin she borrowed from Vivian. Each of the royals started playing, but it sounded horrible.

"Stop!" Cedric exclaimed. "I don't know how you three can practice like this."

"We have no choice. Daddy says we can't take the instruments anywhere," Amber said.

Cedric pulled his family wand out of his sleeve. "I can set a privacy ward. Each of you will not hear each other, but anyone outside the room will hear everything."

"Brilliant!" James was excited.

Cedric set the privacy ward. Each royal child played, and Cedric couldn't hear any of them. He looked at the piano. If he couldn't hear them, then they wouldn't be able to hear him play. He couldn't resist any longer. He sat down at the piano, took off his gloves, put them into one of his pockets, and began playing the Enchancia anthem.

%%%

King Roland and Baileywick were leaving the throne room, when they heard the kids practicing in the music room.

"I hear Amber on the harp, James on his saxophone, and Sofia on the mandolin, but who's playing the piano?" Roland asked.

"I have no idea, your majesty. Why don't we find out?"

Both King and steward walked towards the music room and looked in. They saw the three royal children with their instruments, but when they looked at the piano, they were surprised to see who was playing. Cedric had his eyes closed, was playing quite expertly, and was obviously enjoying himself.

"Did you know Cedric could play the piano, your majesty?" Baileywick whispered.

"I had forgotten that he could. We used to have a piano when I was a child. He would play it when I had music lessons. When it was damaged and my father decided to get rid of it and not get a new one, he was slightly depressed," Roland whispered back.

"He's really talented."

"That he is. He's playing the Enchancia anthem from memory."

"How did he learn to play so well?"

"His father wanted him to be a well rounded sorcerer, so he tried to find different areas where Cedric could excel. Sports weren't his forte and neither was cooking. The only thing he took a shine to besides inventing was music. He is obviously musically gifted. Now, I'm glad I ordered the piano." Roland entered the music room, clapping. "All four of you sound wonderful."

Everyone stopped playing. Cedric froze, part in fear and part in humiliation.

"Four of us?" Sofia questioned.

"But Daddy, there were only three of us playing," Amber insisted.

"Didn't you hear the piano?" Roland questioned.

"No, Dad. Cedric did this awesome spell where we couldn't hear each other but everyone outside the room could hear us."

"It was a privacy ward, your majesty," Cedric spoke up from the piano bench.

The three children looked over at the sorcerer and, noticing which direction he was facing, figured out he had been playing the new instrument.

Sofia laid her mandolin down, walked over to her boyfriend, and sat down next to him. "Were you playing the piano?"

"Yes." Cedric closed his eyes, waiting for Roland to start berating him for touching the newest item in the castle.

"Well, Cedric, I have to apologize to you." At Roland's words, Cedric whipped his head around and stared at the king. "I had forgotten that you could play and apparently still play expertly."

"Is that why you put up the privacy spell? So we couldn't hear you play the piano?" Amber asked.

"Partially. You did need the ward so you three could practice properly. Once I did, though, the lure of the piano was too strong to resist. I've actually wanted to since I saw it brought in."

"Why didn't you?"

Cedric looked down. He couldn't meet anyone's eyes. He whispered the answer. "I didn't know if it was allowed."

Sofia was the only one who heard the answer, let alone the depressed tone it was spoken in. She threw her arms around his shoulders. "Of course, you're allowed to. Why wouldn't you be?"

"Because this is the royal music room," Cedric replied still in the depressed tone, fully expecting to be thrown out of the room. "I'm not royal."

"You are the royal sorcerer and are dating a royal. Not to mention, when we were growing up, you were allowed whenever you wanted whether I was there or not," Roland countered. "If that's not enough, I say you can go in here or any other public room you want."

"What do you mean by public room?"

"Any room except bedrooms unless you are invited."

Cedric's brown eyes lit up. He said with gratitude easily discernible, _"Thank you,_ your majesty."

"So, can we hear you play?" Sofia asked.

"Sure. What should I play?"

"Why don't you play the anthem like you were doing before?" Roland suggested.

"Yes, your majesty." Cedric lightly placed his fingers on the keys without putting any pressure on the keys. He closed his eyes and began to play. It was easy to tell what song it was, even if it hadn't been stated before. The beautiful music drew Miranda to the music room, and she stood next to Roland. She listened to the music, but she also noticed that the boy wasn't wearing his gloves while he played. Cedric kept playing, and when he started over from the beginning again, Sofia started singing the kingdom's anthem. The duo sounded amazing together.

~ **Broken Ankle**

Sofia skipped into her boyfriend's laboratory. Cedric was seated, which wasn't weird, but when he didn't stand up to greet her, Sofia asked, "Cedric, are you okay?"

"Not really. I fell from my ladder, and my right ankle is broken."

"Oh no! How awful! How do you get around?"

"Well, in the workshop, I stay on my stool. To actually get up here or get down, I will levitate myself up or down the stairs."

"Well, dinner is soon, so we better go before Baileywick comes to find us."

"Very well." Cedric withdrew his family wand. _"Float-"_

_Knock, knock._

Cedric placed his wand down and took a breath. "Come in."

Surprisingly, King Roland entered the workshop. Cedric was so surprised that he forgot about his ankle and tried to stand in order to bow to his king, but the second he put a fraction of his weight on his ankle, it gave out and caused Cedric to fall to the floor.

Roland was quite surprised to see his sorcerer fall for no apparent reason. "Cedric! Are you all right?"

By this time, Cedric was sitting up and gingerly cupped his wrapped ankle, showing the king that there was something wrong with it. Sofia answered for him. "Cedric's right ankle is broken, Dad."

"Well, that explains the fall." Roland bent down and picked up the crippled sorcerer.

"Your majesty! There's no need for this. I can manage on my own."

Roland proceeded to carry him down to the dining hall. "I know you can, but you shouldn't have to."

Miranda, Amber, James, and Baileywick watched as the King carried the embarrassed sorcerer to his seat. Once he was in his chair, Roland claimed his seat.

"Cedric, is something wrong?" Miranda asked the question on everyone else's minds.

"No. I'll be fine."

"His right ankle is broken. He keeps trying to do everything on his own. I carried him down so he wouldn't injure his ankle further and so he wouldn't miss dinner," Roland corrected.

Cedric blushed, embarrassed. Why did the King have to do and say that? He had magic at his disposal. Why wouldn't the King let him deal with this on his own?

Dinner passed without another comment about Cedric's ankle, which he was grateful for. He let the conversation about the royals' day wash over him, glad he didn't have to participate. He just wanted to escape to his room after the last course, which was dessert.

After dessert, Cedric stood up and limped away from the dining hall. Sofia was at his side instantly. He looked at her as she helped him hobble to his room. He sat down on the bed. It was actually quite tiring to limp from place to place. He pulled his right leg onto the bed as he shifted so both of his legs could rest on his bed. "Thank you, Sofia. At least, you allowed me to do this myself with only a little bit of help from you unlike your father. I can't believe he picked me up and carried me down the stairs!"

Sofia giggled. "I can't believe it either, but you can't deny that you are family. Dad wouldn't do that for anyone but family."

Cedric slipped his purple robe off and undid his yellow tie, laying both at the foot of the bed, and sat back against his pillows. "I understand that, but I don't think I can get used to it. King Roland always put me down-"

"And now, he picked you up," Sofia interrupted, unable to resist the pun.

Cedric's brown eyes bore into Sofia's blue ones. "You should know I despise puns, Princess."

"Sorry. I couldn't help it." She stepped closer and undid the top two buttons of his green shirt. "That should make it easier to relax."

"Thank you. Anyway, I don't think I can get used to your father treating me like family. Could you tell him to let me deal with this on my own or at least not to carry me anymore?"

"I'll ask him, but he is the King. He may just do it anyway."

%%%

"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Certainly, Sofia. What's on your mind?"

"I know Cedric is part of our family, and we do everything for family, especially when they are hurt, but-"

"Let me guess. Cedric didn't appreciate me helping him."

"He doesn't mind being helped a little. He really just doesn't want to be carried anywhere. It really embarrassed him this evening."

"It wasn't my intention to embarrass him. I guess I should go talk to him." Roland stood up and walked to Cedric's room, Sofia tagging along. Roland knocked on the door, but they were met with silence from the other side. The King hesitantly opened the doors to his sorcerer's room, and, surprisingly, Cedric was laying on his back with his right ankle propped up on a pillow. His slow even breathing told the two royals that he was asleep. "We should let him rest, Sofia. I will talk to him later."

~ **Throne**

Cedric stared in wonder at the line up of thrones. The King had ordered one for him, since he was the one destined to become Sofia's consort. He didn't think he would get one. He just figured his place was either to stand next to Sofia or not in the throne room at all. He wanted to approach the throne and touch it, but it was probably either a dream or a hallucination. The dark colored wood and the dark purple upholstery appealed to his tastes.

Sofia walked up to him. "Do you like it?"

"Is it real?"

Sofia looked at him quizzically. "Of course it's real. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I never thought I would be sitting with the royal family. I thought I would either be standing next to you or not here at all." Cedric approached the new throne, still half convinced it was a dream. He cautiously reached out and touched one of the arms. When his hand touched solid wood, Cedric was surprised. "I have a throne."

Realizing what it meant, Cedric withdrew his hand and backpedaled quickly. Sofia was confused by her boyfriend's actions. "Cedric, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm not meant to rule. This isn't my-my place. I'm the royal sorcerer, not a prince or king."

Cedric kept backing away from the line of thrones until he accidentally bumped into someone. The scared sorcerer looked up and, upon seeing King Roland, turned and ran from the room.

Roland was confused at his sorcerer's actions. He thought he'd be pleased to be able to sit next to Sofia. The king approached the equally confused princess. "What happened, Sofia?"

"He saw the throne and apparently thought it wasn't real. Once he touched it, he became scared. He said that this isn't his place. He said he was a sorcerer, not a prince or king. I don't know why he doesn't think a royal sorcerer should sit with the royal family. We have meals together, and we greet visiting royals together."

"That's exactly why I ordered a throne for him. I wanted us to show a united front to anyone visiting our castle, and besides, he will be your royal consort," Roland added with a wink.

"We should probably find Cedric and explain this to him," Sofia suggested.

"Definitely. Since you actually know him better than I do, where do you think he is?"

Sofia thought for a moment. Where would Cedric go to calm down? "He's probably in his laboratory."

Father and daughter walked all the way to the tower and climbed the stairs. Roland paused very briefly at the door to Cedric's old room (the door was closed) before following the youngest princess up to Cedric's door. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. The door slowly opened, and Sofia took the opportunity to peer in to see what Cedric was up to. At first, she didn't see him, but when she lifted her gaze to the second level, there he was standing beside the window, looking out. Sofia looked back at her dad and motioned for him to follow her in. The two royals entered the room, but only Sofia climbed the stairs and approached her sorcerer. She was sure what to say but was saved by Cedric speaking up first.

"I'm sorry, Sofia."

"For what?"

"When I saw the new throne, I didn't know what to think, but then, I remembered being told that thrones were only for _royalty._ I am not royalty."

"We have had this conversation before, Cedric," Roland spoke up. Cedric's head whipped around so fast, he almost lost his balance.

"Your majesty!"

"I believe what I said was you are the _royal_ sorcerer and are dating a _royal._ You are destined to be Sofia's royal consort, and besides I want us to show a united front to anyone visiting our castle." Sofia led an astonished Cedric down the stairs towards her father. "Let's try out the throne. We can see how we look together."

"I will be down in a few minutes. Why don't you gather the rest of the-our family and I will meet you in the throne room," Cedric suggested, only slightly stumbling over the words.

Sofia and Roland both nodded and left the sorcerer's laboratory. Cedric sat down on his rolling stool with a smile on his face, which didn't falter at all, even when he heard his father's voice.

"Cedric, what happened?" Goodwyn popped out of the painting and appeared in his son's laboratory.

"Father, I wasn't expecting you to still check up on me once you gave me our family wand."

"I only check up very rarely, and now, why are you smiling?"

"I have King Roland's respect, and I am not after Sofia's amulet nor do I want to rule the kingdom."

Goodwyn smiled and clapped his son on the shoulder. "That's my boy!

"I can't stay long, Father. King Roland needs me in the throne room."

"Very well, Son. I won't keep you. Just know I am proud of you as is your mother."

"Really? She's not upset that I'm not going to take over the kingdom or anything like that?"

"She only wanted that for you because you thought it would make you happy. Now that you are happy, she is happy. We both are. Now, go see what the King needs."

"Yes, Father."

With a smile, Goodwyn popped back into the painting. Cedric left his tower and descended the stairs leading to the castle proper. He bypassed his room and entered the throne room, where the royal family were already seated on their thrones. Sofia leaned over and patted the new throne, inviting Cedric to sit next to her. Cedric slowly made his way over to his throne. He cautiously sat down on it but still seemed very tense. Sofia noticed her future consort was nervous and very tense. She thought about what she could do to relieve some of his nerves. 'Maybe something to prove he belongs here?'

Sofia slipped her personal purple wand out of a convenient pocket and gave it a wave in Cedric's direction. A simple silver circlet appeared on his head. It circled his head but his bangs covered part of the headpiece. Cedric looked nervously at Roland, but the King wasn't mad about the crown. On the contrary, he almost seemed delighted that Sofia conjured one for Cedric. Seeing the King was okay with the headpiece, Cedric relaxed a little bit more. This was going to take some getting used to, but being Sofia's consort was definitely what he wanted.

Fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note 2: The idea of Cedric playing the piano belongs to my fellow author, AquaTurquoise. I have permission to use the idea.


End file.
